Moving away - what do I do with my mare?

[PandoraEventing]

Hello ,

I’m currently at college with my horse in the uk, I rescued her back in 2021 in Romania . We were both green , she was severely underweight and injured. We both taught eachother along the way , then when I got to college in England ( equine course ) We improved a ton. I got her to a very good condition and we trained often, we even won 3rd on our first ever competition.
I’m now seriously considering moving to South Korea for University, due to personal reasons I don’t want to continue in the industry further and won’t be doing equine anymore. I still enjoy riding and competing her but I won’t be buying another horse after her. I don’t want to sell, I feel like she’s my child but I can’t take her that far either. I have considered loaning her out and taking her back for the summer only but I feel paranoid that something will happen to her and I’d blame it on myself ( if she gets severely injured etc.) Thoughts?

 

[Cragrat]

I don't think many loan homes would want to pay for keep / do chores over the winter, for you to take her back for the summer.

How old/big is she?

Would a GOOD riding school/college be an option?

 

[rextherobber]

Try Sparsholt college at Winchester, they have a good equine unit and presumably wouldn't mind ypu taking the horse in the summer holidays?

 

[Belmont]

Abingdon & Witney college are looking for loan horses. They’re very well treated and I’ve both been a student there (several yrs ago!) and know owners, so know first hand it’s an arrangement that works well.

 

[Umbongo]

I think your only options are to sell, or to look into loaning to a riding school or equine college?

Not many private loaners would be happy to hand the horse back every summer, could still ask though......there might be someone who wants to loan but spends all summer travelling/holidaying?

If you did loan, you would have to make sure you have a plan for if the loan doesn't work out or she gets injured and they want to give the horse back. Which could be quite difficult if you are abroad.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Oaklands equine college in St Albans take horses for the students my friend keeps her horse there on working livery they are well cared for.

 

[equinerebel]

Unfortunately, you don't have many options.

• You could contact a riding school or college and see if they would be interested in taking her on
• You could put her out on full loan, taking the associated risks with it and understanding that you probably won't be able to just have her back every summer
• You could put her on retirement livery and pay someone you trust to look after her for you whilst you're away
• You could sell

It's worth considering the fact though that injuries could happen to your mare in any of the above scenarios and you would still be thousands of miles away. With the best will in the world you can't completely prevent that. You need to have an honest conversation with yourself as to which you would rather do - study abroad, or remain the sole caregiver of your mare.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

 

[ihatework]

Private loaners aren’t going to be interested in a horse they need to hand back for the summer.

Yes, from practical point of view a college could work, but there is no way I’d ever subject a horse of mine to that.

In your shoes I’d loan with view to buy and I’d do it now before you go to Korea, with the view that the sale happens before you move. It would be very stressful having a horse loaned out when living on opposite side of world.

There are plenty of good horse owners out there. Yes the horse may get injured but guess what, she may get injured in your care too ….

Do your best to get the right match and future proof things, be in a position to step in and take her back if it’s clearly not working. But when you can see she is in a good home, then let her go.

 

[Goldenstar]

Grafting all winter in the dark cold and wet to look after a horse that gets removed in summer is not going to appeal to most people .
You need another plan .

 

[lauragreen85]

Hello ,

I’m currently at college with my horse in the uk, I rescued her back in 2021 in Romania . We were both green , she was severely underweight and injured. We both taught eachother along the way , then when I got to college in England ( equine course ) We improved a ton. I got her to a very good condition and we trained often, we even won 3rd on our first ever competition.
I’m now seriously considering moving to South Korea for University, due to personal reasons I don’t want to continue in the industry further and won’t be doing equine anymore. I still enjoy riding and competing her but I won’t be buying another horse after her. I don’t want to sell, I feel like she’s my child but I can’t take her that far either. I have considered loaning her out and taking her back for the summer only but I feel paranoid that something will happen to her and I’d blame it on myself ( if she gets severely injured etc.) Thoughts?

Maybe a retirement livery type place until your home and settled again? There is some extremely good loan homes out there too

 

[Pinkvboots]

What about finding a retirement or turnout full livery type place for the winter then you can just take her for the summer then return her in the winter, I know she won't be ridden or anything but at least you know she will be looked after.

 

[Annagain]

I would loan her for the whole time you're away at uni (assuming you're coming back after you've finished?) but have a backup plan of a couple of retirement/grass liveries in your pocket in case she's returned from loan while you're abroad. Visit them now to check them out and decide which would be your first and second choice, explain to the owners what you're doing and why so you don't annoy them if nothing materialises. The good thing about this sort of place is they can often squeeze one in in an emergency if they don't need to allocate a stable.

As far as the loan goes, you might be lucky and find someone local to you who would be happy for you to have the odd ride over the summer but I don't think you'd be able to take her back for the whole summer.

 

[BallyJ]

I'd say either a college environment if you think its something she would stand up to - its not for everyone! Mine definitley wouldn't do well there.

or a retirement livery, which i think would be my preference if i couldn't sell

 

[sport horse]

If you could accept not having her back in the summer, assuming she is a horse as opposed to a pony, you could loan her to a top stud/repro vets to be used a recipient mare in their breeding programme. I think she would be well looked after with good vet input if needed.

 

[Lexi 123]

Don’t do equine colleges or riding school most of them places want long term loans ( till the horse retire from being ridden) also most of them won’t give you the horse back for the summer. 24/7 turnout or retirement livery is probably the best option.

 

[Abacus]

Grafting all winter in the dark cold and wet to look after a horse that gets removed in summer is not going to appeal to most people .
You need another plan .

Unless she would hunt?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Difficult one.

Like others have said, you don't have many options tbh in the circumstances you describe.

I've had a horse at equine college and it isn't for every horse! Mine coped well with it and actually thrived there; however after 2 yrs he was showing signs of getting stale with it and it was time to bring him home. Mares seemed to settle less well than the geldings on the yard, at least that was my observation.

If you did decide for this option then you would be paying full-livery during college holidays and certainly over the long summer break. This would tend not to be cheap so you need to be prepared for this.

I wouldn't consider a loan if you are going to be in another country as all it needs is for your loaner to decide she doesn't want to continue with it and you'd have to find somewhere else PDQ.

Of course you could sell your mare........... but that would mean you'd wave goodbye and that would be that. However the plus point of this is that you would have closure and she would no longer be your responsibility end of.

I don't know how old your mare is and/or what condition she is in, or whether she has any "issues" that might make her difficult to sell.......... because if this is the case then there are other options. I've heard people on here talk about "blood banks" for horses where they wouldn't ever be ridden again but would be kept to take blood from for serums etc. At least that is my understanding. You would I believe need to sign the horse over with the proviso that you as owner would basically not see her again; at the end of her life and/or when it was considered appropriate she would be PTS and you would not be invited to be present. This is my understanding, it would need someone else on here to explain the thing better.

The other option of course: if she is unsound, veteran and/or has issues which would make her difficult to sell and perhaps would mean that she would bounce around homes quite a lot in the future, would be to make the decision to PTS her before you go. At least that way you would know what has happened to her rather than have the worry of passing her on to an uncertain fate. It is certainly something which if I was in your shoes I would seriously consider.

 

[Chappie]

I would look into selling her to the very best private home you can possibly find, really go all out to ensure this. There are good homes out there, but you have to put in the work to find them. Advertise well, investigate the prospective purchaser.

Bit of a left-field thought!; do you definitely want and have to go to South Korea to go achieve your qualifications and your dreams?... You said this horse is like a child to you... just my perspective, as an older person!: when you look back on your life will you be confident you did the right thing? Do you have a very special bond with the horse, or could she be happy in the right home for her?

If she is older and you could afford it, a good retirement livery might be an option? Then you know she is as safe as possible and if you came back to the UK, you could perhaps have her back, if your circumstances allowed.

 

[Zoeypxo]

The equine college local to me takes horses on working livery it says from £25 a week.
In the summer when all the students go home you can either have horse back for summer or it just gets turned out. Works for alot of people

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

Your studies seem to be the main importance here when you should be giving 100% thought to your horse.You cannot have your cake and eat it !
You say your horse is like a child to you then i suggest you show her that and put her first - as you might regret it down the line.
No studies or career moves would come before my horses so i suggest you rethink everything.

 

[mustardsmum]

Your studies seem to be the main importance here when you should be giving 100% thought to your horse.You cannot have your cake and eat it !
You say your horse is like a child to you then i suggest you show her that and put her first - as you might regret it down the line.
No studies or career moves would come before my horses so i suggest you rethink everything.

That's a bit harsh, I remember how difficult it was when I went off to uni many years ago. The OP is just asking for suggestions of how to deal with what is clearly a difficult decision. OP, I would in your situation put her on a retirement livery if you can afford it, and then ride her when you get home. This is effectively what my daughter does, the pony lives with me, I don't ride her as I have my own and she picks her up when she gets home and hacks her. Pony is perfectly fine roughed off for twelve weeks at a time, they really don't mind not being ridden! She has shoes off, and is very content being a horse chilling in the field. She's probably been the soundest, happiest than in her whole life! Bear in mind, lots of people rough their horses off and do little with them through the winter months, which is the time you will be away. At the end of your course, assuming you intend to come back to the UK your horse will still be in your ownership.

 

[Abacus]

Your studies seem to be the main importance here when you should be giving 100% thought to your horse.You cannot have your cake and eat it !
You say your horse is like a child to you then i suggest you show her that and put her first - as you might regret it down the line.
No studies or career moves would come before my horses so i suggest you rethink everything.

This forum member is known for making absurd and inflammatory remarks. Best ignored.

 

[AmyMay]

Your studies seem to be the main importance here when you should be giving 100% thought to your horse.You cannot have your cake and eat it !
You say your horse is like a child to you then i suggest you show her that and put her first - as you might regret it down the line.
No studies or career moves would come before my horses so i suggest you rethink everything.

Do you ever have anything constructive or pleasant to say.

OP, if you’re still reading this thread please ignore this poster.

 

[sunnyone]

I'm going to disagree with all of those who say you'll never find a loaner because you want the horse over July and August.

I think there are hundreds of riders who never get their own horses precisely because they can't be, or aren't around for the summer. My first thought is international students who like you will go home for the summer; then anybody who works away from home but returns at end of the scholastic year, then those whose work is summer seasonal, and finally people whose families descend on them. I'm sure there are more types of potential loaners out there.

The trick is going to be finding such people, I'm sorry I can't put you together with anybody. Best of luck.

 

[Abacus]

I'm going to disagree with all of those who say you'll never find a loaner because you want the horse over July and August.

I think there are hundreds of riders who never get their own horses precisely because they can't be, or aren't around for the summer. My first thought is international students who like you will go home for the summer; then anybody who works away from home but returns at end of the scholastic year, then those whose work is summer seasonal, and finally people whose families descend on them. I'm sure there are more types of potential loaners out there.

The trick is going to be finding such people, I'm sorry I can't put you together with anybody. Best of luck.

I agree with this. People have all sorts of work and family patterns and you might find someone. I know a few mums who struggle to ride their horses during the school holidays; if you found someone like this to loan her they might agree that you take her back for several weeks, keep her fit and save them the guilt of leaving her doing nothing.

 

[spottypony90]

What about finding a retirement or turnout full livery type place for the winter then you can just take her for the summer then return her in the winter, I know she won't be ridden or anything but at least you know she will be looked after.

This. You could maybe find someone who may be happy to exercise her a couple of times per week if it’s a turnout full livery but ultimately it wouldn’t hurt if she had time off off and was just well looked after and you could enjoy her in the summer. I wouldn’t sell if I could help it especially with her being a rescue.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Bit of a left-field thought!; do you definitely want and have to go to South Korea to go achieve your qualifications and your dreams?... You said this horse is like a child to you... just my perspective, as an older person!: when you look back on your life will you be confident you did the right thing? Do you have a very special bond with the horse, or could she be happy in the right home for her?

If she is older and you could afford it, a good retirement livery might be an option? Then you know she is as safe as possible and if you came back to the UK, you could perhaps have her back, if your circumstances allowed.

^^^ This. Difficult to predict what the OP would be feeling like in say 10yrs down the line............ but I know what I would do in the circumstances. However, do appreciate that people need to live their lives and do what they believe is right for them to achieve what they want out of life.